A dog that was rescued after the wildfires in Maui has been reunited with its owners.
The heartwarming tale was shared by the Maui Humane Society, which has played a leading role in rescuing and caring for animals after the fires which have killed 111 people.
The pooch, Roman, was being cared for by a dog sitter when the fires broke out and fled in terror during the chaos last Tuesday. He suffered burns to his paws, legs, back and body.
Roman was found two days later and adorable pictures show him reunited with his owners on Saturday.
‘Roman was with a dog sitter when the fires in Lahaina began on Tuesday,’ the Maui Humane Society said in a Facebook post.
‘The dog sitter had no choice but to jump into the waters of Lahaina to save them but he did not jump in with her. Roman ran off terrified down Front Street.
‘On Thursday, Roman was found by Goodfellow Bros staff. Roman was then handed off to a good samaritan and taken to Ma’alaea harbor, and from there he went with one of our humane enforcement officers to be taken to Maui Humane Society for medical care. He was burned on his paws, legs, back and body.
‘Roman was microchipped, we called his owners and they immediately came to the shelter to take their baby boy home. Roman is now safe and with his ohana [family] and doing well according to his owners.
‘Roman is just the first of many stories we hope to share about pets being reunited with their owners during this tragedy. We are so grateful to our community coming together to help our beloved pets, like Roman.
The uplifting story comes after dozens of heartbreaking images surfaced of pets caught up in the devastating fires.
The Maui Humane Society said earlier this week it had received 367 reports of missing pets since the outbreak of the horrific blazes on the Hawaiian island last week.
The animal charity, based in Pu’unene, estimates that around 3,000 animals are still missing as a result of the tragedy.
The organization’s shelter on Pi’ilani Highway has already received 52 live animals from Lahaina, including 12 that are hospitalized in the facility’s clinic with injuries.
Eight pets, including Roman, have been reunited with their owners, some of whom have lost everything else.
The hunt for missing pets comes as search crews continue to make their way through the town devastated by the wildfires. More than 1,000 people remain unaccounted for.
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